Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

The non-veggies may not agree but vegetarian dishes can indeed be yummy. We bring you an exclusive excerpt from The Heart of the Matter by Gitanjali Gurbaxani with five recipes, which the author has kindly shared with us.

A healthy vegetarian diet supports a lifetime of good health and provides protection against numerous diseases including heart diseases, cancer and strokes. A well-planned vegetarian diet provides us with all nutrients that we need, minus the saturated fat, cholesterol and contaminants found in animal flesh, eggs and butter.

A wholesome vegetarian diet offers distinct advantages as compared to the one with meats and other foods of animal origin. This demystifies the age-old myth that a pure-vegetarian diet lacks proteins and essential minerals.

Fibre content in vegetarian food prevents synthesis of very low-density lipoproteins, which can lead to heart diseases. Red meat in particular contains high amount of saturated fats, which are bound to increase cholesterol levels leading to heart attacks. This roughage also helps to eliminate faecal matter from large intestine easily.

Meat eaters usually suffer from constipation, as it does not contain fibre. This is the reason why diseases like ulcerative colitis and colon cancer are more common in meat eaters. An unbalanced non-vegetarian diet can lead to heart diseases, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, cancer and obesity. But the paradox is that even an unbalanced pure vegetarian diet can lead to the same problems.

Convenience vegetarian foods can be just as fattening as non-vegetarian foods. In fact, some vegetarian products like deep-fried Samosas, Bhajiyas and Chaats etc may contain more fat than meat-based foods. Overconsumption of these high-calorie convenience foods or vegetarian fast food leads to weight gain just like meat-based foods.

Heart ailments and heartaches both have become a part and parcel of modern man's life. Heartaches can be well cured by care and love, but not heart ailments. Heart ailments need adequate medical help apart from love and care for proper treatment.

Heart ailments like hypertension, high blood pressure etc, though are not normal health conditions but have come to assume the place of a common and normal happening.

The various properties of fruits and vegetables help in providing possible protection against cardiovascular diseases. These factors include folic acid, dietary fibres, potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, phytosterols, flavonoids and other polyphenolic antioxidants. A vegetarian diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Vegetarians typically have lower blood cholesterol levels as they consume plant diets, which are rich in soluble fibre. These are found in dry beans, oats, carrots, apples and citrus fruits, and are useful for lowering serum cholesterol levels.

The yellow, orange and red carotenoid pigments in fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants that can quench free radicals and protect against cholesterol oxidation. Persons with high levels of serum carotenoids have a reduced risk of heart disease.

A number of studies have shown that lentils reduce the blood-cholesterol levels, improve blood-sugar control and lower triglyceride levels. Since beans are good sources of soluble fibre, vegetable protein, saponins, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fat, consuming a diet rich in lentils will lower the risk of heart diseases.

The consumption of a generous supply of whole grains, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables provides protection against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. A plant-based diet is rich in its content of health-promoting factors such as the many phytochemicals.

Garlic, onions and other members of the allium family, contain a variety of ajoenes, vinyldithiins and other sulfide compounds that have antithrombotic action to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

A balanced diet along with physical workout and a disciplined lifestyle is important for one's well-being. Being a vegetarian is thus considered as the new fitness mantra, which could enhance the health of your body.

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

I experimented with this recipe using arbi instead of aloo (potato) as is often served in restaurants. My family simply loved it for the unusual combination and the subtle and simple flavors that it has. It is very soft in texture and just melts in mouth. When inviting guests at home, I often make this a day before, foil wrap it and then refrigerate. Make it for your family and be rest assured to be bestowed with compliments.

Divide it into 8 equal portions. Lightly grease your palms with half of the oil.

Take one piece at a time, mould it in the shape of a Seekh Kebab and put it on a metal skewer.

Place the skewer over low flame rotating continuously till it is cooked evenly all over. Alternatively, place them in an oven and grill for 15 minutes. Turn from time to time till they are thoroughly grilled. Serve hot with chutney.

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

I got this recipe from my good friend Mrs Seema Goenka who had it at a friend's place and, thereafter, made it for her family.

It is easy to make, sumptuous to have and is healthy. Cauliflower contains allicin, which can improve heart health and reduce the risk of strokes, and selenium, a chemical that works well with Vitamin C to strengthen the immune system.

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

Whenever I make this, I am reminded of the pleasant times I shared with Maya Poddar. Although a simple person at heart, I have had some of the finest, rather rare and simplest of foods at her place, cooked under her guidance by her efficient cook.

The bajra flour is high in fiber and low in cholesterol. It generates heat in the body, so it is generally had during winters. The dough is not as smooth as the chapatti dough as the gluten content is low in bajra and that's why it is difficult to make it without breaking it.

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

I tried making this dish some years ago, when onion prices went right up to the ceiling. It has a perfect blend of all the dry spices and yoghurt. Together, they enhance and bring out the richness of this dish. Sometime back, I had a deep-friend version of this dish at a friend's place.

This is my way of making it, keeping in mind the flavou. I have used very little oil to fry potatoes and bhindi yet retaining their crispiness.

Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

This pulao is unique in taste. It is a perfect blend of whole garam masala, coriander powder and cumin seeds, which are used in making pulao in northern India and also has mustard seeds, fresh coconut which are primarily used in southern India. I incorporated baingan in this recipe and have used table spread as a cooking medium. It turned out to be outstanding.

Ingredients

2 cups rice

1/2 tbsp coriander or dhania powder

1/2 tsp cumin or jeera seeds

3-4 cloves

1/2 tbsp ginger paste

3-4 green chillies

1 tbsp heart-friendly table spread

150 gm eggplant or baingan

2-inch piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp mustard or rai seeds

8-10 black peppercorns

1 tbsp fresh coconut

½ tsp turmeric or haldi powder

Salt

Method

Wash and cut baingan into cubes. Wash and soak rice.

Grate coconut. Finely cut green chillies. Heat half of the table spread in a small pan.